Tennessee Family Farm Traces Its Roots Back to the 19th Century

In partnership with: Tennessee Department of Agriculture

The road leading to the start of Robertson Family Farm was long, difficult and unexpected. But some 133 years later, the century farm in western Hardeman County remains in the same family, three generations strong.

“To me, humble beginnings don’t have to define your destination, and this farm legacy is an example of that,” says Evelyn C. Robertson Jr., third-generation farmer and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Founding the Farm

Robertson and his wife, Hugholene, are the current owners of Robertson Family Farm. His grandfather, Crawford Robertson, was born enslaved in Arkansas in 1856. At 9 years old, the Civil War ended, and he was emancipated. 

In 1888, Crawford moved to Tennessee with his mother and sister and bought 75 acres, which is now part of the current 135-acre family farm. Crawford purchased the property in Whiteville for $562. 

See more: Tennessee Century Farms Program Honors Historical Farms

Through the early 1900s, the Robertson family produced a variety of crops, including cotton, sorghum and fruit orchards. The family also raised hogs, chickens, mules, horses and cows.

Crawford went on to be an important figure in the Whiteville community, not only because of his farming contribution, but also because of his leadership skills. He helped establish the Allen White School and Rosenwald School in 1918. These two schools provided education to rural African American children during the Jim Crow Era.

A Long Road to Recognition

The Robertson Family Farm was registered in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Tennessee Historical Commission recommended the farm for the Register based on the farm’s long history of being owned by an African American family and its cultural heritage. It’s also designated a Tennessee Century Farm.

“Throughout this long history there have been many challenges and African American farms have diminished at an alarming rate. However, through will, faith in God and determination, the Robertson Family Farm has prevailed,” Robertson says.

Robertson and the previous generations of his family worked hard to keep the farm for more than 100 years, as they saw other farmland in the area sold or developed. Robertson’s personal mission is to make sure that the farm continues to serve its purpose.

“I am determined to see that the soil representing our farm continues its productivity to meet the agricultural needs of the state, nation and the world,” he says.

See more: Legacy: Tennessee Century Farms Promote Agriculture

Looking to the Future

Today, the farm is still producing soybeans, cotton and corn. The farmland is leased to another farmer in the Whiteville community on a per acre fee basis. Evelyn and Hugholene reside on the land in a residence that was built in 1964 and sits next door to the farmhouse built by Evelyn’s grandfather in 1906. 

The preservation of the Robertson Family Farm has made future endeavors a possibility. Robertson would someday like to have an agritourism operation on the land to display the preserved household and farm items from his grandfather’s time. His initial thought is to build an event barn and establish a recreational lake on the property.

No matter where the future takes him, Robertson takes pride in continuing the farm started by his grandfather so long ago.

“I believe that Crawford Robertson would be very proud that his legacy as a farmer, entrepreneur and visionary is still alive in the 21st century,” Robertson says.